A famous street food in Saudi Arabia is “Shawarma.” Shawarma is a popular Middle Eastern dish consisting of thinly sliced meat stacked and cooked on a vertical rotisserie. It is typically served on flatbread with various toppings and sauces.
Ingredients:
For the Meat Marinade:
2 lbs. boneless chicken thighs or beef (sliced thinly)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion (grated)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt to taste
For the Garlic Sauce (Toum):
1 cup garlic cloves (peeled)
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup vegetable oil
For Serving:
Flatbread or pita bread
Sliced tomatoes
Sliced cucumbers
Sliced onions
Pickles
Fresh parsley
Tahini sauce or yogurt sauce (optional)
Instructions:
1. Preparing the meat marinade:
1. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, grated onion, minced garlic, lemon juice, and all the spices.
2. Add the thinly sliced meat to the bowl and mix well to ensure all pieces are coated with the marinade.
3. Cover the bowl and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight for best results.
2. Cooking the meat:
1. Preheat your grill, oven, or stovetop skillet to medium-high heat.
2. If using a grill or oven, thread the marinated meat onto skewers.
3. Cook the meat until it is fully cooked and slightly charred on the edges. This typically takes about 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure even cooking.
4. If using a skillet, heat a bit of oil in the pan and cook the meat in batches until fully cooked.
3. Preparing the Garlic Sauce (Toum):
1. In a food processor, blend the garlic cloves and salt until finely minced.
2. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the lemon juice and vegetable oil alternately until the sauce becomes thick and creamy. This may take about 10 minutes. Adjust the salt to taste.
3. Transfer the garlic sauce to a serving bowl.
4. Assembling the Shawarma:
1. Warm the flatbread or pita bread.
2. Place a generous amount of cooked meat onto the bread.
3. Add sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, pickles, and fresh parsley.
4. Drizzle with garlic sauce (Toum) and any additional sauces like tahini or yogurt sauce if desired.
5. Roll up the flatbread to enclose the fillings.
5. Serving:
1. Serve the shawarma warm with extra garlic sauce on the side.
Enjoy this delicious and flavorful Saudi Arabian street food classic!
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